Rail-joint.



G. P. LANCASTER.

RAIL JOINT. urmuulox mum 113121.19.

Patented Mar. 30, 1909 2 BKBETS-SHEET 3.

INVENTOR ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

STOEBE, .QF MARION, INDIANA.

CHAR-LE3 P. LANCASTER, OF JONESBORO, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR OE ONEHALF TO IOShlPK O.

nan-loner.

No. ajmeeo.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Marsh 30, 1000.

To all when it may concern: Be it known that I, Cnanu-zs P. Lancas- TER, a citizen of the United States, residin 5 at Jonesboro, county of Grant, and State o l Indiana, have invented certain new and use- :ful Improvements in RailJoints, of which swinging clamping member disengaged from the rail ends; Fig; 3 a vertical transverse 'aectional view of the joint position on a rail; Fig. 4 a PQFDGCUVG view of the rigid member of the oint; Fig. 5 a perspective view of the swinging clamping member of the joint; and Fig. 6 a detail sectional view showing the hinged joint between the swingmember and the rigid main member.

One of the main objects of this invention "n to provide a rail joint of two members to serve as a rigid clrmping means for the adjpimng' ends of two railroad rails, and wherey the usual bolts and nuts are dispensed with, the members of the joint being so constructed that any weight applied to the rails will serve to cause said members to bind against said rails and to securely hold them in alinement.

Another object of the invention is to so eonstruct the members of the joint that they W11 be rigidlylocked together against displacement when the rail is in position on the ties, and wherein the rail must be elevated from the ties before the members of the joint can be detached from the rail.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for locking the swinging clamping member to the rigid main member to prevent accidental displacement thereof, or the disconnection of said swinging member from the main member.

Other important objects and advantages of the invention will be apparentto those skilled in the art to which this invention appertains, and need not be specifically set forth herein.

Referring to the various parts by numerale, 1 designates the rigid main member of the joint, and it.consists of the broad fia base support 2 which fits under the adjoining ends of two rails, bridging the joint between them and forming a very strong and rigidi sflpport's the two rails at the same level and 'e ectually prevents any sagging of one rail under the constant poun mg of the car wheels. Along one ed a of this base support is formed the inward y and upwardly extendin flan e 3 which fits overthe base of the rai an at the inner upper end of said flange is formed the upwardly extending rail head supporting flan e 4. The up er end of this flange is'adapte to fit under t e head of the rail and to bridge the space between the base of the rail and said head to form a rigid support for the rail head. The base support 2 of the rigid member of the joint is considerably broader than the base of the rail so that in its applied position, as shown in Fi 1, the free edge of said base support exten a considerable distance beyond the longitudinal edge of the rail base. Along the free edge of said projecting portion of the base support is formed an approximately cylindrical rib 5 which is raised slightly above the upper surface of the base support and is adapted to serve as one member of a hinge. Between this head or rib and the adjoining edge of the rail base, the base support 2 is provided with spike holes 6.

Ilinged to the head 5- of the rigid main member 'of the joint is a swinging clamping member 7. This. clamping member consists of the substantially horizontal portion- 8 which has a groove 9 formed in its under side and adapted to receive the head 5. The horizontal portion 8 of the clamping member extends outwardly beyond the groove 9 and forms a tie engaging portion 10. At the innor edge of the clamping member an upright rail clamping and supporting part 11 is formed, said port bridging the spare be tween the rail head and the rail base. On the inner side of this rail supporting portion of the clamping member are formed outwardly extending lugs 12 which are adapted to enter the bolt holes in the rail ends and to effectually lock the joint members to the rails and to prevent the rails creeping or moving longitudinally through the joint.

support. therefor. This is important as it Spike holes 13 are formed in the horizontal spikes are driven through these registering holes the two members of the oint are securely connected together and to the rails.

- Formed on the hinge rib 5 is an inwardly an'd upwardly extending lug 14; and in the clamping member 7', adjacent to said lug, is 4 formed a recess 15 which is adapted to re eeive the lug 14 when the clamping memberis swung into engagement with the rails. It 7 will be readily seen that in orderto detach theclampim member from the ri id momher, the clamping member must e swing outwardly to release it from the lug 14. in-

this osition it may be slid longitudinally on the inge rib to detach it from the rigid E member.

The groove 9 m the swmgmg clamping member 7 is slightly more than semi-cylindrieal' so that the opening is slightly nar- I rower than the widest part of said groove, the object being to prevent the lateral dctachment of the swinging member from the ri 'd member. The hin e rib fits snugly within the groove 9 so t at to detach the members they must be moved longitudinally with respect to each other. This is of ortanee as it prevents the lateral separation of the two members of the joint should the spikes be withdrawn or broken. The tie engaging piirtion 10 serves to hold the rail clamping and supporting part H in engagement with the rails and prevents any outward movement oi said portion until the rails and joint haye been raised sullir-iently to permit the tie engaging partto swing downwardly.

The rail supporting flange 4 of the rigid member is provided on its inner side with horizontal lugs 16 which are adapted to enter the bolt holes in the rails and serve to position the oint members and to aid in preventing any creeping of the rails through the joint. It will, of course, be understood that if desired these lugs may be dispensed with. The rigid member of the joint is formed with spike holes near its outer edge so that the entire joint. may be spiked to the ties in the ordinary manner. the base support '2 of the rigid member =1. considerable distance beyond the adjoining edge of the rail, the said base so )lHll'l may be moved'inwardly under the rail when the swinging member has been so ung outwardly on the bin e, to free the lluluge it from the rail head, t ms permitting the joint IIHIHlNIS to be readily det :r'bcd from the rail.

It is manifest that any yielding or downward movement of the rails will cause the tie en aging part 10 to bear against the ties and t e rail clamping portion 11 will be forced against the rail. It is a so manifest that I provide an automatic clamping means whereby the rails may be connected together and rigidly held against longitudinal movement without the use of the usual bolts, nuts lly extending I and fish dates. By providing such a joint I avoid a lot the diltieulties occasioned in the pordinary type of rail joint by the expansion 3 and contraction oi the rails and the loosening of the bolts and nuts byrenson of the ar ol 1 the passing trains. It is also clear that the l rail jointcannot be. loosened until the rails have been raised sullh-iieitly to permit the t swinging clamping inenibm lo bps-wring outlwardlyt. I The clamp consists of tndparts of simple construction which may be made out of any suitable material, such cast or malleable iron, or they may be sunoped out of steel. It will be observed that the hinge bead 5 i is turned upwardly so as to lie above the l lane of the bottom of the rail base thus ibrming an upstanding abutment-Alp receive the outward n-essurp occasioned by the cian'ipin" oi the rail. Thus bringing the axis of i ie hinge above the plane of the bottom of the rail base necessitates that the l 511 iporting plate 2 shall be wider than the rat base to permit the plate 2 to he slid inwardly far enough to readily detach the plate from the rail. j Having thus described my invention, What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent,1s: l. A rail joint comprising a rigid member formed with a base support wider than the rail base and with an upwardly extending rail sup )orting flange adapted to support the a head to the rai and a swinging clamping member hinged to-the edge of the base supiort and formed with an outwardly extending tie engaging part and an inwardly extending rail engaging part, said base support l and said clamping member being provided lwith registering spike-holes at a point between the hinge and the rail base. l

2. A rail joint comprising a rigid member formed with a base support and a rail supl iorting part, a substantially cylindrical l tinge bend or rib formed on the free edge 01' the base support, said base su )POl'b being broader than the rail base and bead being raised pbove theplune of the rail base, and a swinging clamping member pro- 5 vided with a groove :1 opted tov receive the hinge rib whereby the clzpnping memi;L 1." will 1 be locked to the rigid member, said lanipihg member being f rmed with an: =r.-.:

tending rail engaging part.

i 3. ran-j int comprising ,rigid member l porting rt, a substantially vcylindrical iingv ho our rib formed on the free-edge of the base support, said base su iport being broader than the rail base an the hinge bead being raised above the plane of the rail base, a swinging clamping member rovided with :i. groove ada ted to receive t e hinge rib, whereb the cramping member will be l locked to t e rigid member, said clamping th n. bass support and a rail snpill) the hinge 7 erdly exmember being formed with an inwardly exwith an inwardly extendin rail engagin tending rail engaging part and an outwardly extending tie-engaging portion. on the hinge rib, the swinging 0 amp 4. A rail joint comprising a rigid member 1 member being formed with a recess adapte 5 formed with a base support and a rail supto receive said lug when said member is in 1 arting part, a substantially cylindrical en. agement with the rails.

ge bend or rib formed on the free edge of i the base support, said base support being signature in t e 1iresenee of two witnesses broader thim the rail base. swingmg clampthis 29th day of a]? 1908.

10 ing member provided with a groove adapted i CHARL S P.'LANCASTEP to receive the hinge rib, whereby the clamp- \Vitnesses: ing member will be locked to the rigid memr STEPHEN MOSWIGGAN, her, said clamping member being formed; FRANK LINN.

min. Helm-t L,

part, and an inwardly exten ing in mrme 5 n testimon whereof I hereunto aflix my 20 

